Tractor rake



P.l P. HICKS TRACTOR RAKE No v. 6, 1945.

INVENTOR.

P. P. HICKS TRACTOR BAKE Nov. 6, 1945.

Filed NOV. 29, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Tram/irs.

RAW).

Nov. 6, 17945.. P. P {HlcKs A2,388,411

TRACTOR RAKE Filed Nov. 29, 194s 4 sheets-sheet s l? lalala-ick@ IN V EN TOR.

Nov. 6, 1945.

P. P. HICKS TRACTOR BAKE Filed NOV. 29, 1943 zzf'eziczm INVENTOR.

.BY z

Tra/wrs.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 6, 1945 'rnnofroa anni;

Haris I Hicks, Jane Lew, W. Ya., assignorof.. one.-

half to. Michael Faulkner, Weston, Ya.

Application November. 29, lfiS, Serial Np. 512,201

1 Claim.

This invention has among. its objects., the. erovision offnovel means forfrnounting. a collector, far egarnnlea; rake, on the forward portion of a iraoior. and. to. Supply aHotelv moans.. for. imparting upward and downward swinging moi/tement to iiieoolleotor.

A furtherA object of. theinvention is to provide means whereby, if desired, the collector may zbe swung upward and lownwardlyY through the instrumentality cf the power lift of a tractor.

`lifurl-,ner object of theinvention is 'to provide for guidingfthe Aflexible element 4oh @ov ioleiheoolieoior; in Sooo e. Way thai tfe iiexib element will, pass. abovev the forward axle of the ire. thereof.. clear ofl oso 'parte Another obj""t of the invention is to provide e. frame oem/.ine the eolieoioify and ooosiruoif ed ihaiiif be assembled' Wiihihe. radius. 10de of. ibo front. axle-oi. efiraotoii and 'with the axle iiieleoiwiihoai Working mariees. either in the reoiiisrodsorinihe axle! 1i io; Within. the ororinee of the disolosiire io improve generally and 'to enhance. iheutilitv of devioes. of that woe iowhioh the present inveniioii aoperiaiiia With the aioore and other objects. in Which Will. @weer aS the. Gewinnen proceeds., the invention resides, in tha coinloinationv and arrangement of parts andv the details of `con` struction hereinanerf deseribed' and oiaimed, it being understood 'that changes inv the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed; may be made Within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l shows in top plan, a device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, wherein parts are broken away;

Fig. 3 is a top plan of the collector and its supporting frame;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the collector and its supporting frame;

and beneath the rear axle Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view showing the means whereby the frame is assembled with the forward axle of the tractor;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 4;

Fig, 'l is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig, 2.

The device forming the subject matter of this application may be used in combination with tractors of widely different sorts, but in Figs 1 and 2 there is shown a tractor comprising a forward axle I, to which forward wheels 2 are connected (Eig. 1). by. knuckles 3., The forward ends of radiusV rods* 4 are connected to theY axle I., the rear.` ends of the radius rods` being mounted on` thesides of an engine casing. 5,

`A differentialV housing is shown at 5, and includes a. hollow, extension. 1'joineol to the rear end` of the enginecasing., winchy broadly stated, may Ibe considered aslioantof thetracto'r abody. The rear axlefhousings lare shown at 8, andin them is located'afrear axle, 8, carrying rear wheels Il).

At the rear of. the` tractor is disposed a carrerf, to. which may be connectedk soil-'working instrumentalities (not shown). The carrierfC comprises a transverse draft bar.4 ll, which is conn'ectedgat its ends, byI pivot elements I2, with forwardly' extended'le'vers I4 of. the third order, having; Ai.heilt'iolriilfard ends. fulorued et l5 'on lateral; extensions oi the differential housing 6,.

The. lower ends o f inwardlyr extended, conifereing hangers Iifare mountedV on the pivot. elements l2'. The' numeral I 1 marks a tie, having its; forward end assembledv with the differential housing o, therear endr of. the. tiebeing pivotally connected with theV upper. ends of the hangers t5@ So. raras the present inventionA is. concerned, the tief, l1` forms`- means for sustaining the, carrier C against sagging down, since it rests on the differentiainousmgs, f

Reerwatdly extended orenk arms. 1.0 are. se.- .oued to. a transverse, shaft' 2l mounted to, rook 0712.1 UDC-XGHSQI?, "1- 0f the, differential. houng The. shaft 2 1 is. suppued'witn a depending crarlik` 'arm 2,2, whereunto is pivoted the rod of a power 4piston`2.","nf1o1`1nted to reciprocate in a cylinder 24 in the part 1.

The device is adapted to be used in connection with a rake or collector R, to be described hereinafter.

It is with such a tractor, or with a similar one, that the collector structure and associated parts, next to be described are adapted to be used.

The letter F designates a frame, of any desired construction, and preferably L-shaped in side elevation, as shown in Fig. 2, The frame F includes longitudinal, parallel bottom bars 25, united intermediate their ends by a cross piece 26. The forward portions of the bottom fbars 25 are connected by a transverse head 21 which, as shown in Fig. 3, extends outwardly beyond the bottom bars. The head 21 is supplied at its ends with forwardly presented, bifurcated arms 28,

Standards 29 are secured to the lrear ends of the bottom bars 25 and carry, in theirupper portions, bolt-actuated clamps or attaching devices 3D, which grip the radius rods 4. Uprights 3| (Figs. 2 and 3) have their lower ends secured to the bottom bars 25, the uprights having a backward and outward slant, to conform to the axle I. Near their upper ends, the uprights 3| are supplied with openings 32.

The openings 32 are adapted to receive securing elements, such as bolts 33, connecting the uprights to the axle I. The clamps 30 (Fig, 6) connect the standards 29 to the radius rods 4. Thus, as Fig. 2 discloses, the frame F is disposed below the forward axle I.

The rake or collector R includes a transverse forward rail 34 and a transverse rear rail 35 disposed parallel to the rail 34, the rails being united at intervals by rigid connections 35. Forwardly presented tines 31, or other gathering means, are connected to the rails 34 and I35 by securing elements 38.

The upstanding back of the rake R includes inverted, V-shaped members 39, having their lower ends secured to the rails 34 and 35. At their upper ends, the back-forming members 39 are joined to a transverse top bar 49, carrying rearwardly presented eyes 4|.

Adjacent to the innermost l,back-forming members 39, the rails 34 and 35 are joined by inverted, V-shaped brackets 42, the rear portions of which are received in the bifurcated arms 28 on the head 2l of the frame F. Pivot bolts 44 (Fig. 3) connect the rear portions of the brackets 42 with the arms 28, and, thus, the rake or collector R is assembled with the frame F for vertical swinging movement at the will of an operator. The rear portions of the brackets 42 (Figs. 4 and 2) are supplied with vertically spaced openings 43, for the reception of the pivot elements 44, and thus, the rake R may be adjusted up and down, with respect to the surface of the soil, in-

dependently of the vertical swinging movement ofthe rake on the pivot elements 44.

.To the eyes 44 on the back of the rake R are connected the forward ends of flexible elements 45, which extend backwardly above the forward axle I, as Fig. 2 shows. The flexible elements 4'5 are prolonged backwardly, beneath the rear axle housings 8 and are extended upwardly and forwardly about direction-changing pulleys 4B, mounted for rotation in loop-shaped hangers 4'I (Fig. '7) secured to the levers or supports I4 of the carrier. C, near the rear ends of those parts. The upper, forward ends of the ilexible elements 45 areY attached to connectors 48, pivotally mounted on the crank arms 20 of the shaft 2|.

In practical operation, the piston 23 and the arm 22 impart rocking movement to the shaft 2|, which carries the crank arms 20. The ilexible elements 45, which are connected to the crank arms 20, pay back and forth over the pulleys 46, and the rake or collector R is swung on its pivotal mounting 44, to dispose the tines 31, -or their equivalent, at adjusted angles with respect to the surface of the soil.

It is to lbe noted that the upstanding portion 39 of the collector is high enough so that the nexible element can pass rearwardly, above the forward axle I, in spaced relation thereto, the pulley 46 being low enough so that the flexible element can pass underneath the rear axle 9, in vertically spaced relation thereto. The openings 43 in the bracket 42, and the pivot bolt 44 constitute means for mounting the collector on the frame F, for vertical swinging movement about vertically spaced axes.

Although the power lift, represented by the piston 2 and connected parts, constitutes the preferred actuating means, some .other instrumentality for operating the flexible elements 45 may be employed.

The device is simple in construction, and may be attached to and detached from a tractor quickly and without diiiiculty,

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

In a gathering device, a vehicle comprising a body, a front axle carried by the body, ground wheels carried by the axle for rotation, radius rods having their forward ends connected to the axle, their rear ends being connected to the body,

a frame including a substantially horizontal part located below the axle and extended forwardly and rearwardly with respect thereto, the frame including upwardly extended standards on the rear portion of the horizontal part of the frame and located to the rear of the axle, means for connecting the upper portions of the standards detachably to the radius rods, uprights having their lower ends secured in transversely-spaced relation to the horizontal part of the frame in advance of the axle, means for securing the upper ends of the uprights detachably to the axle, a collector pivoted to the forward portion of the substantially horizontal part of the frame for vertical swinging movement, and means for imparting vertical swinging movement to the collector.

Y PARIS P. HICKS. 

